What design flaw do you see in this speculative home?
So you are going to build a speculative house to market to the masses. What design flaw did this builder install that limits his marketability?
How should our buildings adapt to extreme weather events?
The number and strength of extreme weather events continues to increase. Watching the news we see stories of floods, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and extreme cold temperatures. The news coverage shows buildings that no longer exist. Piles of rubble where once birthdays were celebrated. Crushed spirits where once a small business thrived.
How will your home survive? Will it survive? Which storms are you prepared for in the future? What temperature extremes can your home remain comfortable?
Resilient design is the capacity to adapt to changing conditions and to maintain or regain functionality and vitality in the face of stress or disturbance. It is the capacity to bounce back after a disturbance or interruption of some sort.
What level should we design our buildings? What extreme weather are you planning for in your designs?
Help! My house is cold, so I need my HVAC system fixed. Who do I call?
I get questions on a regular basis about home comfort and efficiency. This question came from someone who read my blog and wanted to get their HVAC system adjusted and wanted to know who to call.
“Our house is quite cold this winter and our energy costs are pretty high – I suspect our heating system is not very efficient, and I am looking to hire someone to come identify and fix any problems. Who should I call?”
The easy answer for your HVAC system is to call Jay Monger at Excel HVAC. He will get your system right.
The path that I would suggest instead:
Get an energy audit from Building Knowledge so that you can develop a comprehensive approach to make your home efficient. His findings will probably be along the following:
You HVAC system is most likely oversized, insulation inefficient in the attic and basement / crawl space, hot water pipes not insulated, and there is a strong need to air seal your home. Since HVAC systems are expensive, I would first air seal your home, then insulate, then adjust the HVAC system.
To air seal a typical home, you could caulk and weather seal all the gaps and cracks in the thermal envelope (electrical outlets, around recessed lights, attic access, doors and windows, and around HVAC boots). The big holes will most likely be the band board (where the floor joists hit the outside walls). These are best sealed with spray foam insulation (open cell not closed cell).
Then, most likely your attic does not have enough insulation and probably not air tight insulation. This is a hard decision to make – to fix the air tight issue you usually need to remove the insulation that is already there. Most people, including myself, don’t like throwing away something you already paid for. So typically, you just accept the air leakage in the attic insulation and add another layer of insulation on top of what you have there. Code minimum is R-38, but I would suggest a minimum of R-50, but like to see R-72 if budget and space allow.
Basement renovation
A basement / crawl space is another good place to attack if the space is not finished. We often find insulation in the floor system above. It should be on the walls for better performance. The band board is often not insulated at all, this area should be sprayed foam.
Once you get the house as air tight as possible and have insulation added in appropriate places, then the HVAC system can be adjusted as needed – perhaps just adding a fresh air exchange depending on how tight you get the home. It might also need some dampers added to get the right amount of air into the right rooms.
For insulation – if you want to skip the energy audit – call Ken Wells at Elite Insulation. For a couple thousand dollars, he can get your home WAY more comfortable even before the energy audit. He understands building science and is fair with his pricing.
If you have questions about your home, let us know!
Building Science Issues Identified – Moisture Problems With Wood Windows
Here is the picture I posted recently about why every home needs a building science specialist. There is visible evidence of long-term moisture issues in the corner of this all wood window(discolored wood in the corner). The home is located in Central Virginia on a wall that is directly impacted with most local storms. There is wall paper on the inside of almost all walls.
The initial scope of work was simply to replace the windows. Little did I know the full extent of the damage that would be uncovered. The wall paper was acting as an air and moisture barrier on the inside of the wall. There was another vapor barrier inside the wall behind the drywall. Once the moisture got into that space, it had to dry to the outside. It could only dry to the outside if conditions were exactly right. This led to an incredible amount of damage that could previously only be seen in the corners of the windows.
Here is what we found.
The scope ended up rebuilding the wall structure, insulation, drywall, house wrap, flashing, paint… To say the least, a lack of understanding of building science in this 20 – 30-year-old house – destroyed the house.
Building Science Issues: Is Water Damage By My Windows an Issue?
Can you identify the potential problems with this home? There is visible evidence of long-term moisture issues in the corner of this all wood window (see discolored wood in the corner). The home is located in Central Virginia on a wall that is directly impacted with most local storms. There is wallpaper on the inside of almost all walls. There is wood siding outside that has been painted multiple times. The house is not used on a regular basis (vacation home). Recognizing issues that can be solved using building science will help keep your home from looking aged and worn. Give us a call if you are looking to protect your home for future generations to come.
For more information on problems with wood window frames or to follow this home’s progress, read here.
Warehouse design
We design many different types of buildings. One of the most interesting to design (while they may lack something in aesthetics) is the warehouse. You have to learn how the facility inhabitants move materials (food, lumber, medical supplies…) whatever they are and design a solution that enhances the efficiency of the facility. This process of learning the flow through the building gives you the information you need to design an effective building solution. From warehouse to retail, design is delivered through understanding the occupants needs and hearing their concerns. Here are some of our various warehouse projects:
